by Elisa Black-Taylor
(USA)
Hillside Haven Garden
Good morning readers. Today is another "good story day" for the cats. I'm just not ready to go back to all of the bad news in the cat world.
I'd like to tell the readers at pictures-of-cats.org about Hillside Haven, located in Durban, South Africa. Hillside Haven is a cat sanctuary for differently-abled cats. Below is their mission statement taken off their website at: Hillside Haven.
"Hillside Haven, a home for differently-abled cats and various other rescued animals.
We provide sanctuary and healthcare for the animals so that they can lead a full and happy life.
Hillside Haven aims to educate the public about responsible pet ownership and differently-abled cats and the possibilities they can still have as loving pets.
Based in Durban, South Africa, Hillside Haven is an organization which relies solely on the goodwill and financial support of its dedicated volunteers and especially from the general public.
Due to space and financial constrictions, Hillside Haven can ONLY take in differently-abled cats, and does not act as a re-homing or general rescue organization."
This wonderful sanctuary was started in 1999 by Dr. Taryn Turner after she rescued a kitten who had fallen off of a roof. She was on holiday at the time and took the kitten back to Durban with her. Thus, Hillside Haven was created.
I find it interesting how many stories I do on cat rescuers who "accidentally" get into the cat sanctuary area of the cat world.
Taryn actually began rescuing animals as a child and became involved with Animal Rights work at the age of 12. Her team at Hillside Haven includes Carrie Sanders (Vice President) and Clair McPhail (website manager). These women also have other jobs besides the sanctuary. Clair is a stay at home mom (one of the toughest jobs out there) and Carrie works for an internet marketing company. Taryn is a Registered Homeopathic and Qualified Advanced Doula at Montclaire Medical Centre in Durban.
It's amazing how many women have full time jobs and are raising a family and still manage to find time to help the cats of the world. Kudos ladies!
Although off the subject a little, a Doula involves serving a pregnant woman and here's a link to check out the services a Doula performs. I've never heard the word before and had to check it out. A little extra education never hurt anyone.
Taryn uses her homeopathic experience to complement traditional medical treatment at the sanctuary.
There are cats up for adoption at the sanctuary and information can be found on their website.
Another reason for my showcasing Hillside Haven is the different methods they're using to raise funds for their sanctuary. Their website has a donation button which allows supporters to make a monthly donation through PayPal. They also offer Kitty Krunchyz! premium cat food to raise funds. I enjoy writing about cat organizations that know how to use business knowledge to their advantage. The monthly donation simplifies supporting Hillside Haven, and the sale of cat food is an excellent idea. It's sad, but many people won't support an organization without getting something tangible in return. They also have animals available, including Luna (pictured above) for sponsorship.
Unfortunately, the cat sanctuary is hurting from the bad economy. Funds from the government and those who support private charities are going to people and not pets. My final reason for writing an article about Hillside Haven is they are in serious need of financial help to keep the electricity turned on. It's been turned off twice in the past few months.
Cat food, water and medical supplies take precedence over electricity, as it should. A chip in page has been started to make donations easy and can be found here - link broken March 2013. Or Taryn can be contacted at hillhavensa@gmail.com to check on what payment form would help the cats the soonest.
I've sent a message to Dr. Taryn Turner and asked her to add her comments or provide any information I may have missed.
Also, I invite the readers here to give a little praise to the ladies at Hillside Haven for the hard work they perform in providing a better quality of life for the cats.
Donate a few dollars if possible. Every little bit helps.
For the record, Hillside Haven is also into bird, dog and reptile rescue. I kept the article subject on cats so the readers here won't be offended.
Elisa
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